System and methods for smart fluid transfer register applications

A fluid transfer system, comprising:

• a fluid transfer register configured to generate regulated results data indicative of regulated fluid transfer information, the fluid transfer register comprising:
• a control unit comprising a processor for processing data and instruction, and memory for storing data and instructions;
• a user interface that displays regulated results data;
• and
• a communication interface that communicates with one or more networks;
• a regulated software portion;
• and
• an unregulated software portion, the unregulated portion comprising at least one downloaded third-party application;
• wherein at least one element of the regulated software portion is communicatively isolated from at least one element of the unregulated software portion using hardware and/or software separation, such that the at least one isolated element of the unregulated software portion cannot communicate with the at least one regulated element of the regulated software portion;
• and
• a fluid meter that operably generates fluid metering data indicative of measured fluid flow characteristics and communicates the fluid metering data to the fluid transfer register;
• and
• a network-based computing environment comprising one or more remote computing devices, wherein the network-based computing environment maintains an application database of one or more downloadable, third-party applications, and wherein the at least one isolated element of the unregulated software portion comprises at least a portion of an application from the application database in the network-based computing environment.

A method for using a fluid transfer system, comprising:

• operating a fluid meter during a fluid transfer event, wherein the fluid meter operably generates fluid metering data indicative of measured fluid flow characteristics;
• transferring the fluid metering data to a fluid transfer register, wherein the fluid transfer register comprises:
• a regulated software portion;
• and
• an unregulated software portion, the unregulated portion is configured to run at least one third party application downloaded from the application database;
• wherein at least one element of the regulated software portion is communicatively isolated from at least one element of the unregulated software portion using hardware and/or software separation, such that the at least one isolated element of the unregulated software portion cannot communicate with the at least one regulated element of the regulated software portion;
• and
• communicatively coupling the fluid transfer register to a network-based computing environment comprising a remote computing device, wherein the remote computing device maintains an application database of one or more third-party applications that are downloadable to the unregulated portion of the fluid transfer register.